Emplace Rest

Harmon Neef

Private
Joined
Apr 3, 2021
So I was having a discussion with a buddy of mine about what exactly the command emplace rest entails. I certainly have my own understanding on how it should be done based on the army manuals but I am wondering what the consensus is. I can give my explanation if anybody is so inclined by I don't want to kick this off with something that might color the responses unfairly.
 
In place rest means that you can relax and make yourself comfortable while in ranks so long as one foot stays in place--I forget which foot--Its been a long time.
 
"In place rest" as already stated is just that, you can relax, talk in the ranks, ect..., but you have to keep your place in formation by keeping one foot on line. As opposed to "rest" where you can fall out of formation. Then there's "parade rest" where you have to stand and hold your piece a certain way depending on which manual you are using and have to remain silent.
 
Thanks for the input! These answers are definitely in line with how I understand emplace rest in the manuals.
 
"In place rest" as already stated is just that, you can relax, talk in the ranks, ect..., but you have to keep your place in formation by keeping one foot on line. As opposed to "rest" where you can fall out of formation. Then there's "parade rest" where you have to stand and hold your piece a certain way depending on which manual you are using and have to remain silent.

Close. That is a common misconception. "Rest" does not mean one can fall out of formation. You're describing breaking ranks. "Rest" in Casey SoS says :

157. When the instructor may wish to give repose in this position, he will command :
REST.
158. At this command, the recruits will not be required to preserve silence or steadiness.
159. When the instructor may wish the recruits to pass from this position to that of silence and steadiness, he will command :
1. Attention. 2. SQUAD.
160. At the second word, the recruits will resume the position of order arms.

The commander can give the simple command of "Attention" because the soldiers are right there. If ranks have been broken and cats scattered, the company must be reassembled. The superb command from Gilham is, "Fall-in, COMPANY."
 
Close. That is a common misconception. "Rest" does not mean one can fall out of formation. You're describing breaking ranks. "Rest" in Casey SoS says :

157. When the instructor may wish to give repose in this position, he will command :
REST.
158. At this command, the recruits will not be required to preserve silence or steadiness.
159. When the instructor may wish the recruits to pass from this position to that of silence and steadiness, he will command :
1. Attention. 2. SQUAD.
160. At the second word, the recruits will resume the position of order arms.

The commander can give the simple command of "Attention" because the soldiers are right there. If ranks have been broken and cats scattered, the company must be reassembled. The superb command from Gilham is, "Fall-in, COMPANY."
First of all, thank you for the detailed response and giving the source. I love discussing/debating the finer points of drill like this to try and arrive at a better understanding of Civil War drill. So I have some thoughts about this. In school of the company, Casey gives a different explanation of "Rest"

39. If, on the contrary, the instructor should wish to rest the men without constraining them to preserve the alignment, he will command:
REST.​

40. At which command, the men will not be required to preserve immobility, or to remain in their places.
41. The instructor may, also, when he shall judge proper, cause arms to be stacked, which will be executed as prescribed in the S. S.

This version would seem to support that the men leave the formation as they don't need to stay in place. I would say that this version would supersede the school of the soldier and the other was probably just a training tool of some kind like a lot of the things in SoS.
 
First of all, thank you for the detailed response and giving the source. I love discussing/debating the finer points of drill like this to try and arrive at a better understanding of Civil War drill. So I have some thoughts about this. In school of the company, Casey gives a different explanation of "Rest"

39. If, on the contrary, the instructor should wish to rest the men without constraining them to preserve the alignment, he will command:
REST.​

40. At which command, the men will not be required to preserve immobility, or to remain in their places.
41. The instructor may, also, when he shall judge proper, cause arms to be stacked, which will be executed as prescribed in the S. S.

This version would seem to support that the men leave the formation as they don't need to stay in place. I would say that this version would supersede the school of the soldier and the other was probably just a training tool of some kind like a lot of the things in SoS.
That is the way I've always understood it in all the manuals. Whenever I've been in charge of anything and I knew we had a little down time I'd order stack arms then rest, only order break ranks when we were really done for a while. Rest gives some mobility but to me it's always assumed to stay close by and be ready to be called to attention at any moment.
 
You fellows are looking in the School of the Soldier when you should be looking in the School of the Company. Here's Casey's version - you'll find substantially the same if not identical language in all the others.

ARTICLE V.

Alignments, and Manual of Arms in Closed Ranks.

(snip)

37. The instructor, wishing to rest the men, without deranging the alignment, will first cause arms to be supported, or ordered, and then command:

In place—REST.

38. At this command, the men will no longer be constrained to preserve silence or steadiness of position; but they will always keep one or other heel on the alignment.

39. If, on the contrary, the instructor should wish to rest the men without constraining them to preserve the alignment, he will command:

REST.

40. At which command, the men will not be required to preserve immobility, or to remain in their places.

41. The instructor may, also, when he shall judge proper, cause arms to be stacked, which will be executed as prescribed in the S. S.
 
You fellows are looking in the School of the Soldier when you should be looking in the School of the Company. Here's Casey's version - you'll find substantially the same if not identical language in all the others.
But what limits do this put on the men:
"or to remain in their places."

Do you still have to keep you place in the formation but just not one foot on the line?
or
Can you leave the formation to lie down? or go to a bush and relieve yourself?

It is not a issue I have looking into.
But maybe Gilham's, Baxter or some of the other books written for militia or volunteers expand on it?
(like Gilham do on exactly how you fall in and get the men ordered by height)
 
I don't recall any other book expanding on this, though I would have to check to be sure.

The implication seems to be clear, though. "Rest" in the School of the Company means the same as it did in the School of the Soldier. The intention is to give the men a short break, but they must be able to resume formation quickly.

How quickly? The command to "resume silence and steadiness of position" is "Attention - SQUAD" or "Attention - COMPANY". How long does it take to say that?

It takes me about 2 seconds. If a man isn't back in place by the end of the command, standing still at attention -- he went too far.
 
In “The Hand-Book of Artillery” by Major Joseph Roberts, it says
“To allow the detachment to rest.
4. The instructor commands:
In place — REST, or Rest.
The cannoneers lay down their handspikes. In the first case the men remain at their post; in the second case, they may leave their post, but must remain near the piece.”

For in place rest it’s the left heel that he keeps in place.
Does this answer the question?
 
What makes you think it's the left heel?

All versions of the infantry School of the Soldier I've read say this (the paragraph number may vary):

In place—REST.

38. At this command, the men will no longer be constrained to preserve silence or steadiness of position; but they will always keep one or other heel on the alignment.

The idea was to keep men in their places so the company wouldn't have to be aligned ("dressed") again when called to attention. During a long rest the men might shift their weight from one foot to the other, so there's no reason to specify which foot. It's not meant to be a steady position like "Parade-Rest".
 
I'm still not convinced that the command of Rest allows soldiers to break ranks. While the slightly vague instruction from Hardee and Casey can be read to allow breaking ranks, the instruction from Scott is abundantly clear.

First, Hardee and Casey : "At the command, REST, the soldier is no longer required to preserve immobility, or to remain in his place."

Second, Scott. I've included "In place - Rest" because the instruction for Rest references "In place - Rest" :

====

485. The instructor, wishing to give relaxation to the men, without deranging the alignment, will first cause arms to be supported, or ordered, and then command :

In place - REST.

486. At this, the men will no longer be constrained to preserve silence or steadiness of position ; but they will always keep one heel or the other on the alignment.

487. If, on the contrary, the instructor wish to give a greater latitude, by dispensing with the last mentioned restriction, he will simply command :

REST.

488. AT THIS, THE MEN WILL ONLY BE REQUIRED NOT TO QUIT THEIR RANKS.

489. The instructor, may, also, when he shall judge proper, cause arms to be stacked, which will be executed as prescribed, School of the Soldier.

====

Even though remaining in ranks goes against reenacting standards, it appears that soldiers can pretty much anything they want except break ranks after being given the command of Rest. Remaining in ranks helps to preserve the line of battle. If appropriate to release soldiers from the ranks, the line is maintained by stacking arms first and then releasing them to that shade, water, pee place or whatever.

S.S. Mucket
 
Back
Top